A Look Across the Ocean

Recently, I discovered several innovative labs in Europe worth checking out.  Both groups advocate better design for public service.

The Helsinki Design Lab assist government leaders and key decision makers in viewing challanges from a big-picture perspective using HDL’s “strategic design” philosophy.

But, what I am really interested in is HDL’s Design Ethnography Fieldguide that is readily available in English.

With easy to follow directions, checklists and activities, this is a great beginner’s guide to conducting your own small scale usability research.

NESTA is a UK based group whose mission is to make the UK more innovative.

NESTA has put out a free guide for prototyping new ideas.  This is a comprehensive and easy to follow guide complete with sample activities and tips throughout.